San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Spring Newsletter 2017

www.sdrvc.org

Volume 23 Number 1

Inside This Issue

Meet the Conservancy’s New President

Published Three Times Annually

Spring 2017

Wax & Wine Recap The 2nd Annual Wax & Wine at Knorr Candle Factory was a success! We raised $4,000 and generated a lot of awareness and interest for the Coast to Crest Trail—plus we welcomed some new members to the Conservancy!

Special Gift Recognition, Trail Repair on Coast to Crest Trail

The spread courtesy of Urban Kitchen Catering

Live music provided by the talented Bill Fleming

2017-2018 Board Officers, New Board Members

Restoration Update: Fairbanks Ranch

Mrs. San Diego (and Carmel Valley resident) Carolyn Kirner-Schmidt with Conservancy Executive Director Trish Boaz

Exploring the River Park, Watershed Education Training Underway

Upcoming Events, 2016 Citizen Science Survey Results

Approximately 90 attendees enjoyed an afternoon of mingling, eating, drinking, and candle-making

The Knorr Candle Factory provided a beautiful venue

Meet the Conservancy’s New President, Brad Bartlett

Brad Bartlett, J.D., President Nate Northrup, J.D., Vice President Peter DeFrancesca, CPA, Treasurer Katharine Sheehan, M.D., Secretary Peter Shapiro, Past President Bill Adelson Slader Buck Keith Colestock Shelley Glenn Lee Donald Mosier, M.D., Ph.D. Robert Sheppard Bill Simmons, J.D. Karen ZoBell, J.D. Lynn Benn Wolfgand Berger, Ph.D. Judy Bernstein Susan Carter Elizabeth Dernetz Kimberly Godwin Tom Golich Chris Khoury, M.D. Ramona Salisbury Kiltz David Kreitzer Oliver A. Ryder, Ph.D. John Sieber Pam Slater-Price Trish Boaz Executive Director Jess Norton Conservation Manager Jack Hughes Watershed Explorers Volunteer, Docent Coordinator Allison Keltner Editor Delle Willett Public Relations Joanne Bakken Accounting The Printer’sCircle Nicole Jasso

Brad Bartlett has served on the Board of the Directors for two years and has been Vice President for the past year. The former attorney and lifelong North County resident was elected President in March and looks forward to continuing the Conservancy’s work and fulfilling our mission of completing the Coast to Crest Trail.

“I always felt very privileged to live in an area with so much open space,” Bartlett said. Growing up, he made frequent trips to the Los Angeles area to visit relatives, so he was able to compare the development in Los Angeles and Orange County to San Diego, especially in North County. “I always had an interest in trying to maintain the natural beauty of what we have here.”

Bartlett was friends with Chris Khoury and knew a little about the Conservancy and River Park, but he started to get involved after participating in the Exploring Our Sense of Place program with his wife.

Eventually, Khoury invited him to join the Board.

As President, Bartlett is eager to work on the Coast to Crest Trail. “All of us would love to see the Coast to Crest Trail completed in its final form,” he said. “The more people can get out in nature and enjoy nature, then they’re motivated to protect nature. Everything else we do is enhanced by developing the Coast to Crest.” He acknowledges it will be a challenging process—but he’ll be leading a very motivated, determined group of people.

We’re looking forward to working with Brad—join us in welcoming him as our new President!

Thank You! A huge thank you to outgoing Board members Carol Angus, Bonnie Hepburn, Chris Khoury, and Greg Roberson!

We are so grateful for your contributions to the Conservancy and River Park and wish you the best!

We are also immensely grateful to former President Peter Shapiro, who will stay on the Board for another year in the new office of Past President.

Carol Angus

Bonnie Hepburn

Chris Khoury

Greg Roberson

Peter Shapiro

ESP Registration Announcement Applications are open for our popular Exploring Our Sense of Place program for 2017-2018!

This is an eight-month field seminar series that allows participants to experience the San Dieguito River Valley in all seasons, to follow its path from mountain to sea, to encounter plant, animal, and human inhabitants, and to connect to the River Valley with their heart and minds.

The program consists of a welcome reception and seven excursions led by experts in various fields, including geology, botany, archaeology, Photo by James Coffee and more. Excursions are held on the first Saturday of the month from October through May (excluding December).

Visit exploringoursenseofplace.org for more information and applications. Many ESP alumni say the program is a life-changing experience, and we’d love to have you join us for the next program!

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SPECIAL GIFT RECOGNITION: November 1st, 2016 – March 31st, 2017 Thank you for supporting our work in conservation, education, and recreation in the San Dieguito River Valley. $10,000 or more

Gary & Denise David Matthew Jones

$5,000 or more

Crystal Crawford for State Assembly 2016 Wayne Pfeiffer William & Miriam Sherrard

$1,000 or more

Tom & Ann Bache Julie Hocking & Jim Baross Emma Louise B. & Kenneth L. Bowles Marion Dodson Craig Duck John & Mary Giebink Nancy & Bill Homeyer Lucy Khoury Gary & Maxine Kreitzer William & Suzann Leininger Christa McReynolds Dr. James Nauman

Jeanne & Victor Orphan Robert & Lynda Orr Michael Thacker Jill Ellis & Judd Westover, Jr. Louise Arnold James Hribar Sydney Joan Kinsella D'Augustine Foundation Alan & Steve Tarkington Scott B. Wilson Alex & Christine Sherer Diane & Stan Coombs

George & Betsey LaBreche James Forbes & Julianne Larsen Gerald Lieberman Pamela Maher Michael Newhouse & Rose Lochmann REI Jerry & Elaine Schneider Dr. & Ms. Daniel Slemmons Frank Stonebanks Doug Sutton Teradata Cares Dorothea Coburn Dorothy Koerner

$500 or more

Andris Baltins Jeffrey Barnouw Bob Schmidt & Faith Barnett Cheryl & Thomas Burns Nancy Danninger Tom & Donna Golich Donald Gragg Robert Hyman Jack & Nanci Simkin

$250 or more

Paula & William Augustus Randall & Vivian Black Dennis & Sheila Burke Heather Rosing & Scott Carr Alan & Jerelyn Creutz Charles & Lynn Gaylord

Douglas Gillingham & Dana Friehauf Bill Smith & Carol Harter Dagmar & James Helgager Teisuke & Tina Iki Isaacs Family Foundation Nora Jaffe Jeanne Kew Hartmut & Karen Klawitter Tom and Linda Lang David & Jayne Lesley Lisa & Mike Hyndman Jill Weitzen MacDonald Dan & Carolyn Phelan Ron & Arlene Prater Martha Simmons Mark & Laurie Trouw Jacqueline Winterer Hugh Chivers Donald & Pat Ewing Robert Dudley Monika Langhoff Hseu & Pat Hseu

Trail Repair on Coast to Crest Trail

by Kevin McKernan, Executive Director, San Dieguito River Park JPA permitting and funding restraints, so we wanted to be proactive about other segments threatened by erosion.

Last fall, San Dieguito River Park rangers spent several weeks on a critical trail repair project on the North Shore segment of the Coast to Crest Trail (by Lake Hodges). This segment is part of the 131-acre Bernardo Mountain Habitat Management Area (HMA), which the River Park manages. Thanks to a dedicated team of JPA managers, rangers, and volunteers, the longest segment of the Coast to Crest Trail remains continuous.

With that in mind, JPA managers, rangers, and volunteers worked to shore up this threatened section of the trail. Over the course of several weeks, rangers and volunteers rebuilt the eroded slope, fixed the trail tread, and added more capacity to the culverts that drain water under the trail. They also planted native species along the rebuilt bank to provide habitat and help prevent future erosion. The project cost approximately $12,000 and included hours of hard work. The repaired trail section has held up well after being tested by this winter’s storms.

The trail was nearly washed out last winter because it intersects a drainage route from the hillside. Since the 2007 Witch Creek Fire, erosion has increased the drainage to the point where it was causing dangerous conditions for trail users—including a 12-foot vertical drop and the possibility of no trail access for hikers, bikers, or emergency vehicles.

Prevention projects like this one often go unnoticed, compared to repairing full trail washouts or constructing new segments, but these quiet success stories are just as important to keeping the trail connected and sustainable. It’s thanks to the daily presence of River Park rangers and volunteer trail patrollers that we’re able to assess and proactively address potential issues like this one.

We saw another segment of the Coast to Crest Trail severed during last year’s winter storms (at the Del Mar Horsepark along the San Dieguito Lagoon). It will be challenging to reconnect that segment due to

The trail segment before the repair work (left) and after (right)

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2017-2018 Board Officers We’re pleased announce our new Board Officers for 2017-2018:

Brad Bartlett, President

Nate Northrup, Vice President

Peter DeFrancesca, Treasurer

Katharine Sheehan, Secretary

Peter Shapiro, Past President

Introducing the New Conservancy Board Members Slader Buck

Donald Mosier

Slader Buck brings a wealth of experience in land and wildlife management to the Board.

Since 1999, he’s been a Deputy Project Manager with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, where he manages the project managers from the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Chula Vista.

Donald Mosier, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Immunology & Microbial Science at the Scripps Research Institute, having recently retired after four decades of HIV-1/AIDS research.

Mosier brings with him a long history of community service, including serving as Mayor of Del Mar 2010–2011, a two-term City Council member and a member of the Design Review Board. He has served as the San Dieguito River Park & Open Space JPA Board Chair, liaison to the Del Mar Community Connections, the Del Mar Lagoon Committee, the Del Mar Village Association, the Ad Hoc Design Review Committee, and many, many more.

Buck got involved with the Conservancy when he completed the Exploring Our Sense of Place program several years ago. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the 50s and 60s, he watched what happened to the landscape when development took off. “Where I grew up, there wouldn’t be a San Dieguito River Park,” he said. “I find we’re making better land-use decisions around here.”

Buck is looking forward to the opportunity to give back and share his expertise. He’s most excited about completing the Coast to Crest Trail and making it a “world-class hiking destination.” His hope is that by drawing people here from all over the country and educating them, more will be inspired to save similar landscapes.

Mosier is excited about working with the Board to fulfill the Conservancy’s mission. “I am pleased to join the Board to help protect and complete the Coast to Crest trail and to provide more recreational and educational opportunities for all of our citizens,” he said.

Keith Colestock

Robert Sheppard

Keith Colestock first learned about the Conservancy through his work with what was then called the Helix Community Conservancy (now San Diego Habitat Conservancy).

However, it was his love of plein-air paintings that really triggered his involvement with the Conservancy. Colestock was involved in the plein-air art exhibitions at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido in 2014 and 2015, with which the Conservancy was a partner. Through that, he met Chris Khoury, who invited Colestock and his wife to join the Exploring Our Sense of Place program.

Although Robert Sheppard lives in Carlsbad, he’s most familiar with the backcountry areas of the River Park—the Santa Ysabel Preserve East, he said, is one of his favorite spots. He first learned about the Conservancy through Brad Bartlett, who invited Sheppard, a retired college professor, on some hikes at Lake Sutherland and Santa Ysabel.

“I would love in my lifetime to do that hike,” Sheppard said, referring, of course, to the Coast to Crest Trail. “I’d like to be a part of getting those gaps filled. That would be a focused goal, though not an easy one.” An avid hiker and backpacker, Sheppard has been involved—to a lesser extent—with the Nature Conservancy and Sierra Club, and looks forward to getting actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

“Conservation has always been a cause that’s resonated with me,” Colestock said. “I’m a second-generation Californian and I’ve seen the loss of habitat and open space.” Like other Board members, he’s eager to bring the completed Coast to Crest Trail to fruition, along with promoting more awareness and education about the River Park.

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Restoration Update: Fairbanks Ranch The Fairbanks Ranch restoration project, which includes the area between Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe west of the Black Mountain Open Space, has recently completed its second year and is progressing well.

The Conservancy is managing this project and partnering with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Fairbanks Ranch Association, and Rancho Santa Fe Association. While we manage the behind-the-scenes work—applying for and administering grants, coordinating with landowners and project partners, and ensuring permit compliance—Arne Johanson and Bob Byrnes, of the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, lead the on-the-ground work.

Johanson and Byrnes lead teams of volunteers several days a week to treat and remove invasive plants like giant reed (Arundo), acacia, pampas grass, eucalyptus, and palm trees so natives like mulefat, willow, cottonwood, and others can reclaim the land.

Johanson said he believes the project can be completed within about five years—but “complete” doesn’t mean they’ll stop working in the area.

“Maintenance is part of stewardship,” he said. Johanson has been leading restoration projects throughout the county for over 10 years. He started by working over 1,000 acres of the Artesian Creek Watershed. He’s also restored land in the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve and is currently also working at Lusardi Creek.

For Fairbanks Ranch, like his other restoration projects, Johanson is using the Bradley Method or “recruitment technique.” With this method, instead of starting in heavily-infested areas, Johanson and his volunteers focus first on areas where the native plants are still established and work out from there. This gives the natives a chance to naturally recover the ground. It’s also cost-effective, since they don’t need to plant new plants as much. Johanson pointed out that allowing natives to take over naturally (with some help from strategic planting) also allows for more diversity and thus, a healthier and robust habitat.

This project made possible with funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Earth Island Institute, and support from the California Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project. If you’re interested in learning more about habitat restoration and volunteering with CNPS, visit cnpssd.org/habitat-restoration. Monthly habitat restoration events are also held throughout the River Park on the third Saturday of every month—check the River Park Events page (sdrp.com/wordpress/events) for times and meeting locations.

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Exploring the River Park The storms we saw this winter were welcome, but luckily they didn’t have too much impact on our recreation events! We might have gotten a little wet a few times, but there were still plenty of beautiful days to explore the River Park.

Valentine’s on Volcan Back by popular demand for the second year—this intrepid group didn’t let a little rain deter them from the promise of good food and drinks at the summit of Volcan Mountain! The refreshments were wellearned and enjoyed.

Exec Trek – Del Dios Gorge It was an absolutely beautiful day to explore Del Dios Gorge. Thanks to all the rains, the valley was bursting with green and we saw some early wildflowers!

Photo by Mary Lueking

Furry Friends Hike

Trails & Ales

Full Moon Hike

The year’s first Furry Friends Hike was unfortunately canceled due to rain, but the second hike through Crest Canyon made up for it. Hikers, both twoand four-legged, enjoyed a nice stroll and brought donations for the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

The third round of Trails & Ales had a great kickoff hike. After exploring Clevenger Canyon, hikers quenched their thirst at Plan 9 Alehouse in Escondido.

It’s always a treat to see the River Park by the light of the full moon. In March, we visited the San Dieguito Lagoon, flashlights in hand, and enjoyed this unique experience.

Spring Trails & Ales sold out; registration for Fall Trails & Ales will open this summer.

Watershed Educator Training Underway Our first group of Watershed Educators is going through on-site training at each of the five sites in the Watershed Explorers Program. After an initial orientation training class, they visited Volcan Mountain, the San Dieguito Lagoon, Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead, and the San Diego Archaeological Center to learn more about the specific activities they’ll lead at each site.

The volunteer educators represent a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, but they share a common goal of educating our youth and fostering a connection with nature.

Volunteer Coordinator Jack Hughes also plans to offer additional learning and social opportunities for the volunteers: “They are volunteering their time to serve youth, but we’re also interested in aiding their development and sense of community.”

The Conservancy is still looking for more Watershed Educators so we can continue to grow the program! Visit watershededucators.org/volunteer to learn more.

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Sign up your class or group for a Watershed Explorers field trip!

Are you a teacher or youth group leader looking for an interactive nature education program for your students? The Watershed Explorers program offers five different field trips to sites throughout the San Dieguito Watershed.

Each field trip has a specific theme and activities designed to allow participants to experience and learn about the many facets of the watershed, from the natural world to its history and cultural significance. Field trips are aimed at youth in grades 5-12. Visit watershedexplorers.org to learn more, view available dates, and sign up!

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Upcoming Events We have some new events planned for the next few months! Check sdrvc.org and sdrp.org for the River Park’s full events calendar.

Yoga at the Birdwing

Hodges Family Adventure

Hodges & Horses

3 Sunday of each month at 10:00 am

Saturday, June 17 at 9:00 am

Saturday, June 24 at 9:00 am

Join fellow yogis for an alllevels yoga session along the San Dieguito Lagoon.

Explore Lake Hodges by foot and kayak! The Conservancy will lead a fun 1-mile hike and Outdoor Outreach will lead a 1-hour kayak session.

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Register: form.jotform. us/70926768784172

Science of Flight th

Saturday, July 15 at 10:00 am

Sunset Live Yoga th

Take a short interpretive hike to Freedom Song Ranch from Lake Hodges to meet some horses and explore a nature trail.

Learn what it takes to live in the air and meet one of Living Coast Discovery Center’s raptor ambassadors up close!

Register: form.jotform. us/70806951334154

Register: form.jotform. us/70877547583169

Sunday, July 16th at 7:00 pm This special sunset edition of Yoga at the Birdwing will include live music by the Topaz Duo—violinist Gregory Lawrence and classical guitarist Ian Lawrence.

Register: form.jotform. us/70857127627160

2016 Citizen Science Survey Results The final results from our 2016 Citizen Science surveys at Bernardo Mountain are in!

In total, 85 volunteers recorded 202 plants and 92 wildlife species on site including five invertebrates, 10 mammals, 70 birds and seven reptiles. Visit our website (www.sdrvc.org) to see complete lists of species and photos from our surveys.

We hosted 12 surveys throughout the year and continued our partnerships with local citizen science groups, including Palomar Audubon, Southwestern Field Herping Associates, and the San Diego Tracking Team. In addition, our Junior Citizen Scientists from High Tech Elementary North County conducted a “Critters on Camera” research project. They reviewed wildlife camera photos, collected species data, and created field guides to teach other aspiring citizen scientists how to identify our local wildlife.

This year, we began conducting surveys on River Park and Conservancy-owned properties near Volcan Mountain in Julian. As of February, we have engaged a total of 400 Citizen Scientists! A special thank you goes out to all of our volunteers that have made this program so successful.

Photo by Steve Bledsoe

If you’d like to join our ranks as a Citizen Scientist, email Conservation Manager Jess Norton for more info at: jess@sdrvc.org.

We’re Platinum!

We’re proud to be recognized as Platinum participants by GuideStar—the highest level of recognition they offer.

With Platinum, we’re able to share metrics measuring progress towards our goals on our GuideStar profile.

This will give GuideStar users a more detailed view of the work we do and how we accomplish it.

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Spring 2017

San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy 3030 Bunker Hill Street, Ste. 309-1 San Diego, CA 92109

858.755.6956 Your support provides for

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in the San Dieguito River Valley Park LIKE US on Facebook

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The San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of recreational multi-use trails in the 92,000-acre San Dieguito River Park, preserving and restoring native ecosystems, and educating the public about our precious natural resources.

Save the Date!

RIVER VALLEY FEST OCTOBER 8 TH , 2017

Photo by Aaron Chang